Police fire bullets, teargas to disperse protesters after truck knocks pupil dead
The Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema addressing journalists recently. PHOTO BY JULIUS OCUNGI
What you need to know:
The incident comes just a week after a pupil died on the spot while four others were rushed to St Mary’s Hospital Lacor in critical condition when they were knocked by a speeding car at Pabbo Town council.
AMURU. Police in Amuru District Tuesday morning fired live bullets and teargas canisters to disperse angry locals who wanted to lynch a driver for reportedly knocking dead a five-year-old boy.
Emmanuel Oyerwot, a pupil of Mary Mother of God primary school was reportedly knocked by a speeding truck at Atiak Trading centre in Atiak Sub-county as he went to school with his colleagues at about 8.30am.
The truck with Kenyan registration number KBR 363P was being driven from Pabbo Town council to Elegu Town council at the Uganda-South Sudan Border point.
It’s reported that locals who witnessed the incident got infuriated and started pelting stones and smashing the trailer’s wind screen before police intervened to calm the tension.
Eye witness
Mr Patrick Ojara, a businessman in Atiak Trading centre who witnessed the accident told Daily Monitor that the pupil was knocked by the trailer at a hump adjacent to Atiak Police Station.
“The deceased was moving with two other pupils to school, the trailer had also approached the hump when it hit him. He was run over beyond recognition,” Mr Ojara said.
He explained that locals began gathering and charging at the driver who later sped off towards the police post for protection.
“The angry locals wanted to burn the truck and lynch the driver. They followed him up to the police post but officers fired live bullets in the air and tear gas which dispersed the mob,” he added.
The Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema when contacted said they had to use force to subdue the crowd who had turned rowdy.
“We used live bullets and fired teargas to disperse the angry locals. We were able to restore calm in the trading centre, right now everything is normal and people are conducting businesses,” Mr Okema said.
He however warned the locals against taking the law into their hands saying the locals should have left it to the traffic police officers to handle.
Mr Okema said the truck driver whom they cannot name at the moment is currently detained at Atiak Police station adding that the body of the pupil will be taken to the mortuary for postmortem test.
The incident comes just a week after a pupil died on the spot while four others were rushed to St Mary’s Hospital Lacor in critical condition when they were knocked by a speeding car at Pabbo Town council.
The driver of the ill-fated car was reportedly heading to Elegu town council when he lost control of the car and knocked the pupils.
